Only then did Xiao Jingcheng seem to come to his senses. Reluctantly, he let go of his hand. Although he had set her free, his hand seemed insatiable and slid down, grasping the sleeve of her robe and gently shaking it.
It was like an act of apology.
Ye Wanmian knew that Xiao Jingcheng had meant well just now. Otherwise, the two of them would have bumped into that short and fat man.
It was just that his sudden action was a bit too intimate. Even though he had been trying every means to get close to her these days, she still couldn't get used to such closeness.
She let out a soft "humph" from her nose and led Xiao Jingcheng forward.
The rest of the journey was uneventful. Soon, they arrived at the local earth god temple in the town.
The earth god temple in Dongli Town was very small, so small that it could hardly be called a temple. There was a statue of the earth god on the shrine, and in front of it were incense burners and offerings placed by the townspeople. There was nothing else.
However, despite its small size, the temple was very prosperous with incense. Whether it was for a major or minor matter, be it praying for rain or for peace, the townspeople would come here to offer incense and pray.
The reason for asking the boss of the wine shop to deliver the roast chickens here was to borrow the prestige of the earth god so that no one would be suspicious.
Ye Wanmian looked around nearby and smoothly saw the thirty roast chickens she had ordered behind the earth god temple. There was neither one more nor one less; the quantity was just right.
She took out a roast chicken and respectfully placed it on the offering table. Then Ye Wanmian took out the three sticks of incense she had brought, lit them with a fire starter, and inserted them into the incense burner. She bowed three times respectfully to the earth god.
When she did all this, she didn't avoid Xiao Jingcheng, but she didn't ask him to join either.
After all, he was the noble crown prince. Even when worshiping gods, he should perform the kneeling ceremony in a royal temple. The local rural gods might not be able to bear his kneeling.
Xiao Jingcheng just watched from the side. His gaze shifted from her to the faintly visible statue in the darkness.
His mind was still blank at this moment. He didn't know who he was, nor did he understand the worldly etiquette. She didn't teach him to kneel, but after thinking for a while, he still imitated Ye Wanmian and bowed slightly to the statue of the earth god.
After finishing all this, Ye Wanmian beckoned him to go around behind the statue of the earth god and stuffed the remaining roast chickens into his hands.
Near the statue of the earth god was the open space where Ye Wanmian had met the pack of dogs before. When she and Xiao Jingcheng brought the roast chickens there, Dahuang had already gathered all the dogs in the vicinity. They were sitting obediently there, waiting for Ye Wanmian and Xiao Jingcheng.
All kinds of dogs were crouching in the woods at night. Their green eyes were like lanterns in the darkness. If seen by others, they would surely be scared out of their wits, but Ye Wanmian was not afraid at all. She smiled and said to the dogs:
"Thank you all for your help some time ago. Thanks to you, we didn't let the bad guys succeed. I've been entangled in many affairs recently and haven't had time to reward you. Today, I've specially prepared many roast chickens. Please enjoy a big meal."
As her voice faded, Dahuang, sitting on the high platform, held its head high and let out a growl at the dogs below. The dogs were overjoyed to learn that there would be roast chickens to eat tonight. One by one, they let out happy whimpers from their throats, and their tails wagged so fast that they left after - images. The one wagging its tail the most cheerfully was Sangbiao.
Whimper whimper, sure enough, she was a kind and beautiful fairy. Why couldn't the fairy be its owner? It really wanted, really wanted to be her dog like the general!
Sangbiao was so excited that it was just about to jump up to smell the scent on Ye Wanmian's body. The next moment, a man stepped forward in front of her. His tall figure blocked Ye Wanmian behind him. When the man looked down at Sangbiao, his eyes were cold and fierce, making it subconsciously lower its tail, hang its head, and take a step back.
So fierce, such a fierce person.
But... why did this feeling of being suppressed seem a bit familiar?
Ye Wanmian was also stunned for a moment when she was blocked by Xiao Jingcheng. By the moonlight, she could see the hostility on his face. She pulled him back and said:
"Although you don't know anything and have forgotten what you've experienced before. However, there is one thing I think you need to remember."
"You were able to escape from the hands of the villains unscathed and now stand here intact. These dogs have contributed a lot. Although they seem fierce, they are a hundred times more innocent than humans. As long as you give them a little benefit, they will remember it deeply and go through fire and water for it, charging into battle."
"They won't be your enemies, but your friends."
The girl's voice was gentle and patient. Knowing that he didn't understand, she spoke very slowly, trying to make him understand.
Xiao Jingcheng had just forgotten many things, but he wasn't a fool.
These dogs in front of him didn't emit any hostility. Instead, in his ears, the breathing of each dog and their scents were so familiar to him.
It was as if they had also often met here like this before.
Ye Wanmian didn't know what Xiao Jingcheng was thinking. She only saw him standing there stupidly.
Forget it. He had just woken up from a deep sleep and couldn't even use chopsticks properly. Why was she talking about these things to him? Besides, he still needed her to support him now. How could he take in these dogs?
"Alright, let's distribute these roast chickens to them together." Ye Wanmian said helplessly.
She squatted down, unwrapped the oil - paper package, and then took out the dagger from her body.
The roast chickens were whole. There were many dogs that had helped that night, and a whole chicken would surely not be enough to distribute. So Ye Wanmian planned to divide a roast chicken into four parts. That would be enough.
She inserted the dagger into the roast chicken and began to split it. Although she was no longer the daughter of a noble family and had been a "country woman" for two years and done a lot of hard work, splitting the chicken was still a bit strenuous for her.
The dagger got stuck in the chicken skeleton and couldn't go down no matter what. A layer of sweat unconsciously broke out on her forehead, and her eyebrows frowned slightly. The next moment, her palm was held by someone, and the man squatted down beside her.
Although he didn't say a word, Ye Wanmian quickly understood his meaning and handed the dagger in her hand to him.
Xiao Jingcheng was much stronger than Ye Wanmian. The roast chicken that she had struggled so hard to split was easily divided into two in his hands, just like a branch.
Then, it was divided into four.
The gentle breeze blew gently, and the air was filled with the rich aroma of the roast chickens. The dogs on the scene were drooling at the smell, their eyes glowing green. They couldn't wait to rush forward and grab the roast chickens.
But when they saw the man beside Ye Wanmian, the dogs once again felt that kind of feeling of being severely suppressed. A sense of fear arose from the bottom of their hearts, so they all obediently squatted in place without moving.